GameCity Kajaani

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Kajaani
GameCity Kajaani

A local, vibrant and active gaming ecosystem in Kainuu, supporting emerging game companies!👾💫

In 2022, society spent around €197 billion on video games, with 3.2 billion people actively playing them. It is estimated that up to 2 billion people have played video games developed in Finland. In 2021, the total turnover of the Finnish games industry passed the EUR 3 billion mark for the first time. Overall, there are around 200 game studios in Finland, of which Kajaani has more than its fair s

hare considering the size of the town. Some of the well-known game companies in Kajaani include Critical Force, Kitka Games, CSE Entertainment, TJR Games, Rust0 Games, Virtual Frontiers, and Black Smoke Studios. The GameCity Kajaani project, funded by the City of Kajaani, is building a gaming ecosystem in Kajaani, which also means more gaming companies and more success stories. The project will be implemented in extensive cooperation with local actors to ensure that the development of the games sector in Kajaani is continuous and dynamic. This means boosting new businesses with an incubator, seed fund and facilities, increased investment in games education, and refining Kajaani's local brand to support the attractiveness of the local games industry. GameCity Kajaani aims at a local, functional and active gaming ecosystem! More information and articles (in Finnish, for now):
https://www.kajaani.fi/tyo-ja-elinkeino/gamecity-kajaani/
https://www.kajaani.fi/tiedotteet/gamecity-kajaani-pelialan-yrittajyyteen-panostetaan-kajaanissa/
https://yle.fi/a/74-20028047

18/06/2026

The GameCity Kajaani Team wishes everyone a happy Midsummer!

16/06/2026

Meet Hella Games Studio!

This GameLAB team is forging something special with The Cinderling - a cozy blacksmithing rhythm game inspired by Finnish folklore and brought to life through beautiful hand-drawn art. ⚒️🎶

Behind the project is a team of passionate creators who believe that the best games are built on trust, empathy and open-mindedness. As they continue their journey, they're not only developing a game, they're laying the foundations for a future game studio.

💡 Hella Games Studio is driven by curiosity and a desire to learn. Their goal is to create memorable experiences that feel fresh and unique while staying true to what matters most: delivering fun, engaging gameplay that players genuinely enjoy.

With a blend of creativity, craftsmanship and a strong team culture, they're proving that sometimes the most exciting adventures begin at the forge.

Kajaani Game Catalyst is co-funded by EU.

15/06/2026

⚖️ Every game has numbers behind the fun.

This Quest Lecture features Aku Mähönen, Senior Game Designer at Ubisoft Redlynx, on “7 helpful principles for balancing and economy design.”

Drawing from his experience across multiple genres, Aku shares seven practical principles that help designers approach game balancing and economy design with the right mindset. The session focuses on understanding numbers, managing complexity, and making informed design decisions.

📍 A valuable session for anyone interested in game design, progression systems, economies, and creating better player experiences.

How to join?

1️⃣Join GameCity Kajaani Discord server:
https://discord.gg/ZNJxqFBRxf

2️⃣Check out the event in our Discord's Event section;

3️⃣Start learning, connecting and leveling up!

Kajaani Game Catalyst is co-funded by EU.

09/06/2026

Ocean Cleaner Idle Demo is out now! 🌊

The ocean needs a hero. This time, it's you!

Our GameLab team Watt a Day Games has just released the Ocean Cleaner Idle Demo on Steam!

Dive into a relaxing incremental clicker game where every click helps to save the ocean! Join the mysterious Atlanteans as you collect trash and restore the ocean to its former beauty.

♻️ Clean the ocean
🐠 Restore marine life
🌊 Make a real difference, one click at a time

Show your support for an emerging game development team from Kajaani.

👉 Head to Steam, try the demo, and leave a review!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4451520/Ocean_Cleaner_Idle/

Wishlist it, play it, and help Ocean Cleaner Idle make an even bigger splash.

Kajaani Game Catalyst is co-funded by EU.

08/06/2026

Launching on Steam is more than just pressing a button.

This Quest Lecture features Riikka-Lotta Pehkonen, Producer and Lead of Watt a Day Games, sharing the lessons learned from releasing their first Steam title, Ocean Cleaner Idle.

In "What a new indie team should know about Steam backend", Riikka-Lotta gives a practical walkthrough of the Steam backend, covering what to know when setting up your Steam page, releasing a demo and launching your game. Along the way, she'll share the mistakes her team made, the challenges they faced and the things that worked.

As the lead of Watt a Day Games and an experienced people-first producer, Riikka-Lotta brings firsthand insights from building an indie team, managing remote collaboration, and learning by doing.

📍 A session for developers preparing their first Steam release and looking to avoid common pitfalls.

How to join?

1️⃣Join GameCity Kajaani Discord server:
https://discord.gg/ZNJxqFBRxf

2️⃣Check out the event in our Discord's Event section;

3️⃣Start learning, connecting and leveling up!

Kajaani Game Catalyst is co-funded by EU.

21/05/2026

2 x 2 of Kajaani Game Catalyst is heading to ! 🎮🔥

Nordic Game is the leading game industry event in the Nordics, bringing together developers, studios, publishers, investors, and industry professionals from across the world.

In Malmö on 26–29 May.

2 highly promising teams from Kajaani Game Catalyst program will be pitching their games:

⚡ Watt a Day Games with Riikka-Lotta Pehkonen
🏔️ High Mountain Rangers with Jarkko Jortikka

2 main players from our program will be around as well:

🎯 Project Manager Joonas Pylvinen
🎮 Head Coach Veli-Pekka Piirainen

Are you attending too?

Come say hi! 👋

The trip and Kajaani Game Catalyst are co-funded by the EU.

12/05/2026

What’s happening in Game Entrepreneurship Night on 13th of May?

We dive into stories of an established and emerging game entrepreneurship journeys.

**🌳 The established story: **

the Founder of Critical Force, one of the oldest and biggest game companies in Kajaani.

VP is also the unofficial godfather of the whole Kajaani game industry - his initiative led to the start of the game education at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK). You can guess, his initiative is also behind GameCity Kajaani and Kajaani Game Catalyst.

VP holds the title of the head coach for Kajaani Game Catalyst, taking care that the teams get the coaching they need.

In the story he reveals the reality of creating, growing and maintaining a game company through build, remarkable investment and changes in the market. ’

**🌱 Emerging stories:**

Our main goal is nurturing emerging game companies for growth. The newest batch introduces themselves.

Kajaani teams present
👾 progress,
👾 the plot twists and
👾 plans

of their stories this far.

**🪎 Incubator teams share their learnings,**
- ”wish we knew this earlier”

GameLAB -26 teams also get their team hoodies! 👕

Also the normal roll of
🎮 DEMO CORNER
🎮 PIZZA 🍕
🎮 NETWORKING

📅Wednesday 13.5.
🕧 6pm - 21pm
📍Kampussydän, KAMK campus

Join ⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://link.webropolsurveys.com/Participation/Public/4a9b16c2-8a1f-43df-8673-cb8478da0507?displayId=Fin3660474

(The event and program is co-funded by the EU. 🇪🇺)

See you there!

05/05/2026

Game Entrepreneurship Night comes again!

📅Wednesday 13.5.
🕕 6pm - 21pm
📍 Kampussydän, KAMK campus

Game Entrepreneurship Night gathers together the game devs who want to make the living out of their passion.

This time
- Kajaani GameLAB 2026 teams showcase what they are cooking
- Incubator teams (=gameLAB 2025 graduates) sharing their learnings and insights from their journey
- We hear the story how Critical Force was born and grown in Kajaani, by the Head Coach of the Program Veli-Pekka Piirainen

As the normal roll,
- Democorner: get to play the games created by the Game Catalyst teams
- Pizza and networking
- Maybe surprise elements…

Free to attend, but remember to sign up!

🔗 https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/2DF21DCE4882EC7F (link in bio as well)

Welcome guys!

29/04/2026

AI, love it or hate it — you need to understand it. You can choose not to use AI, but you can’t choose the market you launch into.  Quest Lectue: Perspectives on AI - Tatu Petersen-Jessen

A proud father of three kids and co-father of 50+ games, Tatu brings over 25 years of industry experience from companies like Rovio, Remedy, Digital Chocolate, and Mr.Goodliving — now leading an AI-native game studio.

In the Quest Lecture, Tatu dives into topics
• How AI works
• How it’s changing games, society & competition
• How developers are using it right now
• Legal impacts you should know
• The real problems behind AI
• How to use AI beyond images, video, and code

Why you should care?

If you’re building games — or planning to — this is about staying relevant. Your competitors are already learning this. Are you?

📍 A must-attend for anyone serious about building games in a world where AI is already changing the rules.

How to join?

1️⃣ Join GameCity Kajaani Discord server:
https://lnkd.in/d5xNSqzz

2️⃣ Check out the event in our Discord’s Event section or check yourself to the Quest Lectures - public voice channel.

3️⃣ Start learning, connecting and leveling up!

Kajaani Game Catalyst is co-funded by the EU.

22/04/2026

Great games don’t happen by accident — they’re designed with purpose.

This Quest Lecture features Jasmin Verollet-Dahncke, Freelance UX & Game Designer.

She’s driven by a strong passion for User Experience and Accessibility with over a decade of experience in the games industry.

In the talk ”UX in Games,” Jasmin
👾 explores how user experience goes far beyond UI —
👾 dives into the fundamentals of UX and core principles,
👾 introduces the user-centered design process that shapes meaningful and accessible player experiences.

You’ll gain
✅ practical, evidence-based tools and production insights to help you find the fun and build games that truly connect with players.

📍 A must-attend for anyone serious about creating impactful, player-first game experiences.

How to join?

1️⃣ Join GameCity Kajaani Discord server:
https://lnkd.in/d5xNSqzz — [ link in bio ]

2️⃣ Check out the event in our Discord’s Event section

3️⃣ Start learning, connecting and leveling up!

Kajaani Game Catalyst is co-funded by EU 🇪🇺

Osoite

Ketunpolku 1
Kajaani
87100

Nettisivu

https://gamecitykajaani.fi/

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